(A) Purpose. This subchapter establishes comprehensive regulations for the control of signs in order to preserve, protect and promote the public health, safety and general welfare. More specifically, this subchapter is intended to assist in achieving the following objectives:
(1) To authorize the use of signs that are:
(a) Compatible with their surroundings and the zoning district in which they are located;
(b) Expressive of the image the city desires to project;
(c) Appropriate to the type of establishment or activity to which they pertain;
(d) Legible in the circumstances in which they are seen; and
(e) Not distracting or cluttered in a manner that disturbs the safe and free flow of traffic or in a manner that may be fully or partially attributable to an increased risk of traffic accidents.
(2) To foster high quality commercial and industrial development, and to enhance the economic vitality of existing businesses/industries by promoting the reasonable, orderly and effective display of signs;
(3) To encourage sound sign display practices, and to mitigate the objectionable effects of competition in respect to the size and placement of signs;
(4) To enhance the physical appearance of the city by protecting the human-made and natural beauty of the area;
(5) To preserve the value of private property by assuring the compatibility of signs with nearby land uses; and
(6) To enable fair and consistent enforcement of these sign regulations.
(B) Scope.
(2) These regulations are supplemented and qualified by the regulations of the particular zoning district in which a sign may be located and by additional general regulations appearing elsewhere in this chapter.
(3) Regulations for any signs may be made more or less restrictive in the conditions of the ordinance governing a particular Planned Use District.
(4) The requirements of this subchapter may be modified as part of any Planned Development District ordinance where alternative materials, design or types of signage are proposed that meet or exceed the quality and other purposes of this chapter.
(5) Nothing in this subchapter shall be deemed to prohibit lawful non-commercial speech on a signage otherwise specifically authorized or designated for commercial purposes.
(C) Interpretation. Every provision of this subchapter shall be construed liberally in favor of the authority of the city to the extent permissible by applicable law. Nothing herein shall be construed to be applied or enforced contrary to any superseding applicable law.
(Ord. 623, passed 9-8-1970; Ord. 3786, passed 12-17-2012)